= Coca-ähnlich + in Wüste gebraucht;
Flowers smell strongly of decaying meat, and are pollinated by flies. It
is known as the “stinky” plant with “miraculous” properties. Several Hoodia spp. are eaten raw/used as appetite and thirst
suppressants to treat indigestion, hypertension, diabetes, and stomaches. Hoodia spp. are used
as a convenient emergency food and moisture source in harsh arid environments. As
food, the spines are scraped off the succulent stems and the stems are eaten
like
Sold in the supermarkets and shops all across the US.
Other Hoodia species also are reported to have
similar applications. For instance, H. gordonii () is
eaten fresh, and is used as an appetite-suppressant by shepherds.
It was shown that H. gordonii extract was able
to induce weight loss or control appetite in mammals, and these extracts were
dominated by chlorogenic acid and a sterol glycoside.
Extracts have been reported to control obesity and in the treatment of
related health conditions including syndrome x.
H. officinalis has been used to treat pulmonary
tuberculosis and hemorrhoids. H. pilifera
is also edible, suppresses thirst and hunger and is used in brandy tinctures,
as a stomachic, and to treat hemorrhoids and
pulmonary tuberculosis. In African traditional medicine H. currori
is also used to treat diabetes.
The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) in South Africa
investigated the plant’s effect and demonstrated in animal studies that an
extract from the plant was highly effective in reducing weight.
In 1997, the CSIR approached a company (Phytopharm, UK) to collaborate in
the development of a prescription drug with the active ingredient P57. At one
point Phytopharm had signed a licensing agreement
with Pfizer who would have marketed P57 in the rest of the world (Habeck 2002). Maintaining intellectual property rights and
providing benefits to the indigenous peoples who provided the traditional
knowledge that led to the scientific discovery is a rather complex and
entangled issue. Other issues facing the Hoodia
industry and regions where it is cultivated are; difficulty in meeting consumer
demand due to slow growth of this species; adulteration of commercial products
with other Hoodia and non-Hoodia
species; and using sustainable cultivation and harvesting practices.
Vergleich: Siehe:
Gentianales + Sukkulenten + Sonne und Luftgruppe
Allerlei:
Kalahariwüste
Phytologie: Appetit hemmend/Ausdauer fördernd
Vorwort/Suchen Zeichen/Abkürzungen Impressum